Tax Facts & Tips

Personal and real property taxes

• Property taxes are assessed and collected at the local level — 64 parishes and 7 municipal districts — and not by the Louisiana Department of Revenue. The Louisiana Tax Commission has a regulatory role regarding property assessments.
• Taxpayers having property in the state of Louisiana are required to file a property tax return with the assessor of any parish and any municipality levying a tax on or before April 1 or within 45 days of receipt of the return form, whichever is later, furnishing values as of Jan. 1.
• Property subject to ad valorem taxation is listed on the assessment rolls at its assessed valuation, which, less some exceptions, is a percentage of its fair market value. The percentage of fair market value is uniform throughout the state upon the same class of property.
• Louisiana offers a homestead exemption on the first $7,500 of the value of a person’s primary residence. The exemption, however, does not usually apply to municipal taxes.